Andijan city criminal court on 4 December sentenced a citizen of Uzbekistan who fought on Russia’s side against Ukraine. Gazeta.uz reviewed the court’s decision.
According to the charges, 39-year-old T. A. from Marhamat district went to Moscow in April 2023 to find seasonal work. While there, he decided to join the Russian armed forces and participate in the military actions between Russia and Ukraine.
The defendant signed a military contract on 21 July 2023. Until December of that year, he participated in combat operations conducted by Russian forces in the Ukrainian cities of Shakhtarsk and Bakhmut. He returned to Uzbekistan on 31 December 2023.
At the trial, the man fully admitted his guilt and expressed remorse.
He stated that on 17 April 2023, he arrived in Moscow and initially worked as a butcher in Sarok store for 15 days. After that, he got a job at the Novatek oil exchange. There, he met a Russian citizen who offered him to join the armed forces to participate in military actions against Ukraine for a high salary.
According to the defendant, the new acquaintance also promised that in case of injury, the man would be paid compensation. The citizen of Uzbekistan was interested in the offer, and after signing the contract in June 2023, he underwent two months of military training in Moscow.
On 21 July 2023, he signed additional contracts with Russian armed forces, under which he was promised 450,000 rubles (about $4,950 at the exchange rate at that time) per month for participating in combat operations. At first, he received two payments of 150,000 rubles, but then the payments stopped.
At the end of July 2023, he was sent to Shakhtarsk and Bakhmut in Ukraine, where he met citizens of Tajikistan and other foreigners. During combat operations until November 2023, the defendant, by his own admission, killed more than 10 Ukrainian soldiers.
For his activity on the battlefield, he was transferred to a reconnaissance unit of the Russian forces. Then, for five months, he participated in combat operations in Luhansk.
In December 2023, he returned to Moscow. He refused an offer to remain in service in Russia and decided to travel to Uzbekistan with his sister and wife. According to his testimony, his family members were partially aware of what he was engaged in.
On 31 December 2023, the man crossed the border with Kazakhstan and returned to Uzbekistan, after which he voluntarily appeared at law enforcement agencies and provided all the documents confirming his service in the armed forces of Russia, as stated in the court’s decision.
At the trial, the defendant expressed remorse, explaining his actions by difficult financial circumstances and the fact that he was the sole breadwinner of the family.
Judge Otabek Mamajanov found him guilty under part 1 of article 154 (mercenarism, punishable by 5 to 10 years of imprisonment) and part 1 of article 154−1 (enlistment, recruitment for military service of foreign states, punishable by a fine of up to 300 base calculation units ($8,731) or corrective labor up to 3 years) of the Criminal Code.
The court considered mitigating circumstances (full admission of guilt, remorse, absence of prior convictions, family situation and the presence of three children) and sentenced him to 4 years and 2 months of restricted freedom.
The man has been prohibited from leaving his place of residence, except for the time necessary for work or study, as well as trips to and from work or study. He has also been banned from changing his place of residence without the consent of the controlling authority, as well as leaving the territory of Andijan region.
